A study led by The University of Texas at Austin is offering a different take. The researchers present a categorical definition for broken foreland basins and suggest that an array of geological mechanisms, not just flab slab subduction, could lead to their formation. “Many geologists have used broken foreland basins as a definitive marker for… Continue Reading Research Breaks Down Broken Foreland Basins
Study Explores How Tectonic Forces Shape The Andes
Based on their shared geologic history, one would expect the topography of the Andes mountains to be relatively consistent from one end to the other. But reality defies expectation: the 8,000-kilometer long mountain belt spectacularly widens and narrows (varying from 300 to 900 km in width) as it winds from north to south along the… Continue Reading Study Explores How Tectonic Forces Shape The Andes
New NSF Grant Awarded to Study Earth’s “Flat Slabs”
A $2.7 million multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional NSF-Frontiers of Earth Science grant has been awarded to a team led by Carnegie’s Lara Wagner to study an active flat slab in Colombia. A flat slab is produced when a tectonic plate descends to depths of about 30 to 60 miles (~50-100 km) then flattens and travels horizontally for… Continue Reading New NSF Grant Awarded to Study Earth’s “Flat Slabs”